


like a newly-minted coin

by straddling_the_atmosphere



Series: the adventures of ares and dog [3]
Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, Silver is a podcaster, behold...a cat arrives, the dogs get very little attention in this one sorry guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 07:20:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14444244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/straddling_the_atmosphere/pseuds/straddling_the_atmosphere
Summary: In which Madi and Silver have lunch, discuss dog dates and other kinds of dates, and Madi realizes she knows who Flint is.Also, Flint and Miranda share martinis like the gossipy bitches that they are.





	like a newly-minted coin

**Author's Note:**

> warning: not as much dog and ares in this installment as you've been led to believe. lots of madi and miranda though, so you win some and you lose some

Madi has a busy life. She gets up at six every morning, feeds her cat, ( _ Yes, Shuri, yes, I know,  _ Madi says when Shuri starts meowing loudly, running between her legs at exactly three-quarters past five.) grabs a quick breakfast of toast and a hard-boiled egg, and goes to work.

She shouldn’t have time for a boyfriend, and yet, when Silver tripped his way into her life, she lost all common sense and let him take her out. And she  _ liked  _ him. And his ridiculous dog, too.

Her phone rings and she answers it, juggling with her keys as she locks the door behind her. 

“Why are you awake?” she asks. 

“I just wanted to make sure we’re on for lunch!” Silver says, overly cheerful in that way that means he’s been up all night.

“Yes, but only if you go to sleep as soon as I hang up.”

“Madi--”

“John, I’m not going to have you falling asleep in your pasta.”

“That was  _ one time _ .”

“Wrap up whatever you’re doing with that podcast and  _ go to bed. _ ”

She can hear the pout in his voice when he says, “Fine,” and she rolls her eyes, unable to help the smile that curves at the corner of her mouth.

“Goodbye, John,” she says, and hangs up before he can protest, shaking her head. It’s official--she’d truly lost her mind when she began dating one John Silver.

* * *

When Flint was young, well,  _ younger _ , he’d been angry all the time. He’s still angry, under everything, only instead of getting into fights every time he’d felt that itch, he channelled into writing. It had worked more beautifully than he could’ve expected, had nursed him through four bestselling novels, two of which were in a trilogy.

Only, now he can’t for the life of him seem to find that anger. He stares at the empty page, the cursor blinking accusingly, then glances down at Ares, who’s napping with his head on Flint’s feet. Flint wiggles his toes and Ares lifts his head, giving him a baleful look, as if to say,  _ don’t take your writer’s block out on me.  _

Flint snorts but he stops, letting Ares rest his head back down. His phone begins to vibrate and he grabs it, desperate for a distraction.

“Miranda,” he says.

He can hear her laugh. “Hello, James. That was a more energetic greeting than I’m used to. Having trouble writing?”

_"Yes."_  He ignores her snort.

“I’m coming into the city for work today,” she says. “Drinks tonight?”

“At the hotel by the Mexican place you like?” Flint asks.

Miranda hums. “You know how I love their martinis.”

Flint can’t help but smile. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Good. You can tell me all about the pretty boy you’ve met.”

_"_ _Miranda.”_

She laughs again and hangs up and Flint huffs, staring at his phone for a moment before tossing it to the desk, groaning. 

“Your aunt is a menace, Ares,” he says and Ares just thumps his tail on the ground as Flint buckles down to begin writing again.

* * *

“You look terrible.”   


“Thank you very much, my darling, wonderful girlfriend,” Silver says grouchily, knuckling his fingers to his eyelids.

“I told you to sleep,” Madi scolds lightly, kissing his cheek and giving Dog an ear scratch before she sits down across from him. 

“I did,” he grumbles. “You know naps make me more tired.”

She shakes her head, lifting up her menu. “Did you and Jack finish recording whatever nonsense you record?”

Silver perks up. “It’s going to be our best episode yet. I just have to edit it.” He yawns again. “Should I get this?” He points to something on the menu and Madi shakes her head.

“They use pork fat to season the sauce.”

Silver pouts. “Damn.”

She looks at him from over the menu. “I don’t know why you’re kidding yourself,” she says, fond. “You always get the pesto and you know it.”

“Maybe I wanted to try something different,” Silver protests. Madi gives him a disbelieving look.

“Tell me about your new boyfriend,” she says. “So I can give him the girlfriend stamp of approval.”

Silver colors, dropping his gaze. “He’s not my boyfriend. He won’t let me take him on a date until I find out what books he’s written.”

“He’s an author?”

Silver looks sulky. “Yes. He won’t give me any hints besides, he was on the bestselling list this year and that it’s fiction.”

Madi laughs. “He’s making you work for it.” She sounds approving. “What’s his name?”

“Flint. James Flint. I already googled him.” Silver huffs, stretching out his leg. She nudges his ankle with her foot gently, smiling when he keeps it pressed there.

The waiter comes by and takes their orders, then lays a water bowl down for Dog, who laps at it eagerly, her tail wagging.

“Show me his dog,” she says after the waiter goes, and Silver straightens, pulling out his phone. She looks charmed at the dog she sees, a majestic creature with copious amounts of fluffy russet fur and a panting blue-tongued mouth. “Is that James?” she asks, looking at the man next to the dog, his hair nearly the same color as its fur.

Silver nods, though he makes a face. “I just call him Flint.”

Madi huffs but continues to look at him. There’s something...familiar about him. Something she can’t quite put her finger on. She stares at his face for a moment longer, taking in the freckles along his cheeks, the orange of his beard. 

“He’s handsome,” she says, handing Silver his phone back. Silver goes pink and Madi snorts. “You already knew that, darling, don’t be coy.”

“It’s different when you say it,” Silver protests, but he takes her hand, playing with the rings on her fingers. 

“Well, we already know you have good taste,” she says. Silver looks at her. “You’re dating  _ me.” _

Silver grins and brings her hand up to kiss her palm. She’s right.

* * *

It isn’t long after Flint sits down at the bar that he smells the signature scent of lavender and vanilla that always precedes Miranda. He turns his head just in time to see her bright grin and gets up, kissing her on the cheek. 

“You look happy,” Miranda says, cupping his cheek for a moment before she slides into her seat. 

“Breakthrough with the chapter,” Flint says, smiling as he sits after her. He wordlessly signals the bartender and orders them the same drink--martini, light on the vermouth, and ice cold.

“Good!” She drapes her shawl over the back of her seat and Flint is struck as he always is by the elegant line of her neck, the way her dripping pearl earrings accentuate it. It makes him want to sketch again, something he hasn’t done in years, the smear of charcoal all over his fingers something that brings back candle-lit nights and golden hair, grey-blue eyes and clever hands. He ruthlessly stamps that down and nudges the drink to Miranda, who takes a long sip and sighs.

“One of these days, I’m going to retire, and then what will the magazine do?” she says, shaking her head. Flint reaches out to unpin her hair, knowing that it gives her a headache when she wears it up for too long. It falls in loose waves down her shoulders and she smiles gratefully.   
“You’re only forty,” he says mildly. “And you love that magazine.”

“I know.” She makes a face and has another sip of the martini. “But I could kill everyone working there sometimes. This is why I work from home now.”

“Oh? Not because you want to spend every day with your demon cats?” Flint teases and Miranda gives him a mock-offended glare.

“It shocks me how much you insult them and yet they still love you.”

“Perhaps I’m just that lovable,” Flint says with a straight face and then laughs at Miranda’s disbelieving look. 

“You are many things, my dear, but easy to love is not one,” she says and Flint snorts but doesn’t disagree. 

“That’s why I have you,” he says and Miranda reaches over to squeeze his hand.

“Tell me about your life,” she says. “I haven’t seen you in god knows how long because  _ somebody  _ won’t come visit me.”

“Miranda, you know I’m on a deadline.”

She just purses her lips and raises her eyebrows at him, and he sighs. “As you already know, I met someone.”

Her eyes light up and he adds hastily. “It’s not--I found his dog and we’re just friends.”

Miranda hums. “You always did like a man with a dog.”

Flint flushes and scowls at her, and Miranda doesn’t even have the decency to look apologetic, grinning while she pops an olive into her mouth. 

“Is it that dog you sent me a picture of? She’s adorable.  _ And  _ Ares gets along with her.” She wiggles her eyebrows and Flint huffs but doesn’t deny it. Miranda’s face softens. “You know you deserve happiness, James,” she says. Flint looks away, but she takes his hand and gently squeezes it. “You do. You know he’d want you to be happy.”

Flint stares at their hands together, Miranda’s fine, soft fingers tracing over his scarred knuckles, the ring she still wears on her finger, though not on the left one anymore. 

“I don’t even know anything about him,” Flint mumbles.

“Then learn.” Miranda watches him with kind eyes. “You are allowed to move on. It’s not forgetting about him. It’s continuing to love him but also learning to love again.” 

Flint swallows and finally looks at her, and then his gaze catches on a faint bruise on the side of her neck. His eyes widen.   
“Miranda, are you--”

She actually blushes, a faint thing. “It’s still fairly new,” she admits. “But yes.” She presses a kiss to his cheek. “And you can have that, too.” Flint lets out a soft sigh and leans against her, inhaling that familiar, comforting scent of hers.

“Okay,” he says after a long moment. “Okay.”

She smiles as he sits back up, and she clinks her glass with his.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> NEXT UP: ACTUALLY MADI’S CAT


End file.
